By Daniel González and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez | The Arizona Republic
Young undocumented immigrants in Arizona fighting to get driver’s licenses received a setback on Thursday.
A federal judge refused to suspend Gov. Jan Brewer’s policy denying driver’s licenses to young undocumented immigrants who receive work permits through President Barack Obama’s deferred-action policy.
But U.S. Federal Judge David Campbell left open the possibility that young immigrants who receive work permits through deferred action may be able to get driver’s licenses in the future.
In a preliminary finding, Campbell said that there is merit to a lawsuit’s argument that Brewer’s policy violates the equal-protection clause of the U.S. Constitution because before Obama’s program began, the state granted driver’s licenses to immigrants who received work permits through other forms of deferred action.
Obama’s deferred-action program allows undocumented immigrants under 31 who came to the U.S. before they were 16 and have lived in this country for five consecutive years to apply for a two-year reprieve from deportation.
Also: Immigrant releases from federal jails included 622 convicted criminals
